afrol News, 13 July - The Ugandan government appealed for Shs170 billion to fight famine which has so far reportedly killed more than 30 people in 51 districts, the Disaster Preparedness State Ministry has announced.

The Minister acknowledged that the famine condition was harsh in other parts of the country, but said the situation was still under control, saying the government has managed to make an emergency response in most hit areas like Teso where over 1,000 metric tonnes of maize grain have already been sent.

“We have been able to make some response to push off the pain. The emphasis is that we must also do as we give out planting materials because meteorological experts say the second rain season is expected to be a lot more reliable and long,” statement said.

The statement further said part of the relief money will be used to buy agricultural input like sorghum seeds and potato vines.

“The famine has been as a result of the 2007 floods which destroyed crops and over the years, we lost the culture of granaries which used to be a food reserves,” the Ministry statement said.

The government is currently engaged in working with local authorities to revive the culture of granaries at homestead level to prevent the same trend from happening.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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